Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Her eyes go as wide as saucers, and she jumps off the counter, putting distance between us. “More, as in wanting a fake fiancée, right?”
I’m not even sure what the hell she’s asking, but the panic in her voice has me taking a step back. This is too soon. She’s not there yet, which makes sense since we’ve only known each other for a fucking minute and I’m acting crazy.
I blame Samuel completely for this. Before our stupid talk, I was doing just fine. But then he had to go and point out how I’m getting older, and I haven’t started a family yet. And how great it is to be in love and that he wants that for everyone. And now, here I am, losing my damn mind over the first woman I’ve been attracted to on a deeper level.
“Ian,” Stacey says, “when you said you want more, you meant that you want me as your fake fiancée and not a one-night stand, right?”
This time, she words the question so I understand what she’s asking and silently not saying—this can’t be anything more than a fake engagement.
“Yeah,” I choke out, backtracking. “I just meant that we should take things slow because we’re going to be spending a lot of time together and we don’t want to rush into shit. You know?”
“Yeah.” She nods slowly. “That’s what I thought you meant.” She steps toward me and places her hand on my bicep. “But if you change your mind … regarding sex, I’m here.”
And with those parting words, she saunters away, leaving me wondering if there’s something in my drink because if I didn’t know better, I would think I’m drunk on this fucking woman. I’ve known her for two damn days, and I was ready to profess … what, my love for her?
Thank God at least one of us is sober enough to think straight.
chapter five
ANASTASIA
The past seventy-two hours have felt like some weird dream that I can’t wake up from, and I’m not sure if I even want to. Ian Thomas has surprised me in more ways than one. He’s not only sweet and romantic, but he’s also gorgeous and nothing like I expected the businessman who was looking for a trophy wife to be like.
We’ve spent the weekend with him wining and dining me and showing me a good time while we get to know each other on a more personal level. I haven’t taken this much time off from work in God knows how long, and it’s been nice, enjoying some time relaxing and not having to worry about analyzing marketing data and consumer reports.
I came here with the goal of using Ian to get to my dad and his company and never thought in a million years that I would feel something more. So, when he told me he wanted to take things slow, I damn near lost my shit, thinking he was feeling something as well.
Thankfully, I misunderstood, and he just meant that he didn’t want to jump into bed yet since this was all new. I meant what I said about not wanting to repeat my dad’s mistakes, and the last thing I need is to start a new relationship while trying to convince my dad I’m the right person to run Kingston. All my attention needs to be on the company and my future.
Maybe if my dad had focused on the company instead of trying to have it all by marrying my mom and getting her pregnant, things wouldn’t have gone down the way they did. Don’t get me wrong. I’m thankful to be alive. But I didn’t ask to be born, and after watching what my parents went through and wishing my dad would give me the attention I craved while I was growing up, I’d never be dumb enough to do things the way he did.
With that said, that doesn’t mean I can’t successfully run the company with the vision he has. I don’t have to be married with kids to be a positive face of the company. That’s just his bleeding heart talking.
After spending the rest of the day on the boat, Ian and I went to dinner and then spent the evening binge-watching movies neither of us had taken the time to watch.
On Sunday, he was supposed to take me to the country club, but instead, we spent the day by his pool, making out, swimming, and eating, enjoying the last day of our little bubble we’d created.
Now, it’s Monday, and he left early this morning for work—which reminds me that I should probably ask him where he works. We were so focused on each other this weekend that we didn’t get into details about anything in the outside world. And although I don’t need to know details like that, I find myself wanting to know more about him.